The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-03-03
manitowof pilot.
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1887.
THE CAPTAINS FORFEIT.

ed yarn before glowing hickory ire, Id
as neat and roomy kitchen as could be
found, at that date, in the whole town
ship of Wellington in Connecticut.
"Why, let me sect Yes, my child, it
is st. Valentines day" replied the tall,
bright faced, erect old lady.
Don't put superstition into the child's
head, wife," said Grandfather Holt, who
was sitting in the chimney corner, peel
ng white oak bark for the coloring of
the smooth, evenly spun and twisted
back banded yarn.
"Why, father, there is no superstition
or heresy in plain fact" put in hand
some little woman, who was deity
iashionino pumpkin pie crust at white
table under one of the high windows.
To-day is the 14th of February, and it
is st Valentines day across the ocean.
1t can make no difference with us here.
Why did you ask aboutit, daughter
Rachel2"
ct would make difference with us If
Aunt Charity should go out and meet
love in green lane and plight her troth,
wouldn't it, mother"
"What is the child talking about?" ex-
claimed Aunt Charity, who was weaving
blue cloth, dyed in the wool, upon loom
that stood in the corner, nearest the fire.
She turned about upon her narrow weav-
ing bench and rubbed the dark crock of
the wool from her shapely white hands
upon corner of her wide check linen
weaving apron.
I'm talking about this morning when
| went a little way with Cousin Susanna
when she started to go up to Grandfather
snow crust along the Fenton river road
when whom should We meet but young
Thomas knowIton going over to Uncle
David Glaciers after three threaded
shuttle for his Aunt Eliza, and while
they stopped to chat bit l looked about
with the dogs to find where the rabbits
and quais burrowed out, after the storm;
but once again could not help hearing
bits of their talk. and it would seem that
last year they were both on the ship
coming over on st. Valentines day and
there were some merry games, among
the rest, forfeits; and the captain judged
them in this wise: IF year from to-day
you two shall chance to meet in a green
lane, you shall plight your troth, and in
| fact, TO day they CHANGED to meet and
| the lane was as green as hemlock boughs
| could make it, and of course their troth
| was plighted; for what else was there for
| them to dos"
| "Shes sly one, if she is my kinswo-
man; she's sly one," said tall, stately
| Charity, clasping her white hands,
| "They are only children, they must not
| be allowed to meet again.
Grandfather aud Grandmother Holt
| looked in each others eyes and smiled.
| Perhaps they had memories of ship
/ that brought them overland 1t may be
| that they were amused at the indignation
| expressed by their spiuster daughter at
! her pretty young relations love affair."
| Neither one expressed any opinion, but
| Cousin Patty Preston who was sorting
black sleeps wool opposite "Granther
Holt, " by the fire, said looking at Char
ity, in APPROVAL
| 'Indeed they should not be allowed to
| meet. She can do better. Even Judge
| John Fuller of Holland himself casts adj
miNng eyes at her, and he told me only
! the other day, when asking if she made
| her home here, that he had business with
| CAPTAIN Holt and should be riding over
soon."
Judge John Fuller is a widower,
1 Will SIX cuIIuTGD, Salu Itdclti . ulOlltI
| from her baking table.
| ''And if he is, he hes money and lands
| and he is not DID," retorted Cousin Pat
ty.
''But their troth is plighted," put in
| Rachel, whose red lips looked like straw
berries smothered in cream, for she was
| cleaning ont the wooden bowl from
which her mother had just filled the
| pumpkin pies. "Aunt Charity is not
old, why can she not marry Judge John
| Fuller herself2"
Grandfather 10 his endeavor not tolaugh
choked himself with a bit of the white
| oak bark he was chewing, grandmother
broke the back banded yarn and grew
| red in the face in her careful efforts to
| splice it SO that the knot should be invis
| Ible, while Charity tossed her fine head
that was set proudly upon her shoulders
and turned back to her loom, but as she
brought forward the weaving beam she
| asked
| "When are this wise and dignified pair
| to be married, Niece Rachel2''
| Next Monday night, if the moon
shines bright, at the ministerial house."
| said the little girl, glibly. "Ihat, it
| seems, is a part of the forfeit"
| Forfeit, indeed" said Charity, more
! indignantly than ever, something must
be done; they must not be married in
| this hasty way"
| But she is his Valentine and he is
hers, and their meeting this morning has
| proved 1t true" persisted Rachel, land
II the tide of true love runs smooth, he
will wear green sprig i'll his button-ho
when he comes to meeting on Sunday
| morning, and Rachel tied on her quilt
| ed hood, and said, as she ran out again
| to slide down hill on long, smooth
| board
You will see, Aunt Charity, you will
| see for yourself, if you are at meeting on
| Sunday when they come in."
You may be sure that on Sunday
morning the tall, handsome woman did
not fail of being betimes at the little,
new unfinished church upon the very
crest of the hilltop.
1t was bitter cold. Then, as now, the
site of the worshipers kept them in good
plight.
Grandmother Holt and her unmarried
daughter Charity. and her married
daughter Mrs. Marcy, Rachel's mother,
and eager little Rachel herself stood, be-
fore the services, by one of the south
windows where the sun strsamed in
across the implanted pews and the bare
yellow pine floor, and kept lookout for
their young kinswoman.
She came at last, with cheeks as pink
as roseate sunset cloud and ewes as
bright as the evening star. She brought
IN her grandmother's hat, hickory plank,
her patchwork, feather cushion and blue
check blanket, and placed them in the pew.
For although Grandmother Marcy had
rheumatism, she went to church to keep
up the dignity of the family, for the
benefit of her example in the community
and her own spiritual enlightenment and
strengthening.
As pretty Susanna was tucking the
blanket about her gentle grandmother,
young Thomas Knowlton came in,
straight as an arrow and handsome